This invention relates generally to a retractable shelf for use with a table, and particularly to one which is suited for storing equipment such as a computer terminal keyboard in one position and presenting it to the user in a second position.
Tables with shelves which are movable from a position beneath the table top out to a position in which the contents of the shelf or drawer are exposed are, of course, known. Such table and shelf combinations, however, are not ideally suited for the situation where one wants to use a CRT (cathode ray tube) terminal on top of the table while having its separable typewriter-like keyboard semi-permanently mounted in the shelf or drawer. For example, while one is using the keyboard a force is exerted on the keyboard which might tend to push the shelf back under the table top. Moreover, the height of the shelf holding the keyboard may not be suitable for all users of the CRT. Presently known shelves are not easily adjustable to a number of different heights to accommodate different users and different user preferences.
Patents in this general field include coassigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,441,432 to Carlton for a tilting table. The Carlton patent, however, does not show an adjustable shelf for a keyboard. The disclosure of the Carlton patent is incorporated herein by reference since it illustrates a table with which the present invention can readily be used. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,788,253 to Gussack and 4,258,967 to Boudreau show slide brackets for carrying a chassis containing electronic instruments by means of which the chassis may be slid out of positon and then pivotally swung around an angle to expose the bottom of the electronic components for service. U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,866 to Urban shows a pair of slots used for controlling the height and angle of inclination of an electrical accessory such as a radio. And U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,145 to Ando is directed to a bi-level book holder, which includes one generally horizontal slot in which a pivot pin runs in a generally vertical slot with two steps (see for example FIG. 8 and FIG. 22) None of these patents is believed to solve the disadvantages of the table and shelf combinations listed above.